Chapter 12: Battle Trail(2)
Boom Boom Boom
Enough running, Deku!" Bakugo's voice echoed through the air as he soared after the fleeing Deku. Gritting his teeth, Deku planted his feet firmly on the ground, skidding to a stop. His fists clenched tightly as he raised his guard just in time to block a flying kick.
The impact of the kick sent Deku hurtling backwards, his green hair flowing wildly as his shoes squeaked against the floor. He knew Uraraka had lost. Too much time had passed, and the upper floors fell silent. Deku switched into survival mode, desperately searching for a way to defend himself against the relentless Bakugo.
He watched as Bakugo propelled himself towards him with an explosion. Bakugo spun in the air, telegraphing a kick that Deku easily dodged. Deku's eyes followed Bakugo's movements as he kicked off the ceiling, throwing a punch that narrowly missed Deku's chin.
The missed punch caused Bakugo to twirl in the air, giving Deku a chance to dart back and create some distance between them. Bakugo landed on the ground, scoffing before shouting, "How do you expect to win, Deku?! Has that bright mind of yours figured out a solution yet?! Or are you just going to keep running until time runs out? You know what, forget it. I'll make sure you can't dodge this!"
Bakugo forcefully slammed his grenade gauntlets together, a sinister grin spreading across his face. Deku's eyes widened as he watched Bakugo's palms glow a bright orange. Throughout the battle, Bakugo's sweat had been accumulating inside the gauntlets, and now they were filled to the brim.
Instinctively, Deku began to backpedal, knowing that the upcoming explosion would likely obliterate the entire floor. But before Bakugo could unleash the blast, a sudden announcement interrupted them, shocking both Bakugo and Deku.
"The test is over! The heroes are the winners! Uraraka has successfully touched the payload!"
Both Deku and Bakugo stared foward dumbfounded until a relieved grin appeared on Deku's face and he collapsed his tired body on the floor. Deku lay there peacefully until Bakugo loudly shouted out in a fit of rage.
" What the hell?! How did we lose?! When did she even get past me? "...
On the top story of the building, Ricolo could be seen standing next to the payload, with Uraraka's unconscious body lying there, touching the payload. Ricolo glanced down at Uraraka before he let out a loud yawn and started to walk toward the stairwell.
Mere seconds ago, All Might and students watched as Ricolo dragged Uraraka's body, making her hand touch the payload. And all the students thought of the same question. Why? Why did Ricolo give the win to Midoriya and Uraraka? The answer to that is quite simple.
Ricolo descended the stairwell, making his way toward the floor where Deku and Bakugo were stationed. Until he reached the floor and walked past Deku, who looked at him filled with confusion. Ricolo spoke, his voice filled with exhaustion.
"Take this, as my way of repaying you for making my hero costume," As soon as Ricolo said this, Deku's eyes widened before he sat up and asked Ricolo a question.
" Is Uraraka all right? "
"She won't die, but you should probably get the nurse," Ricolo replied, heading towards the building's exit. His footsteps echoed rhythmically as he made his way out and towards the room where All Might and the other students were gathered.
After a few minutes of walking, Ricolo arrived to find All Might and the students staring at him in shock. None of them had expected him to let the other team win. Confused, Ricolo stared back at them before All Might posed a question.
" Why did you let them win? Did you feel bad for them? Or was it something else? "
"I owed that green-haired brat a favor, so I decided to let him win. He clearly cared more about this trial than I did," Ricolo explained. All Might sighed loudly and glanced back at the students.
"After we assist Uraraka, the next teams will arrive at building (B), and we can continue our little watch party," All Might announced...
A few hours later
The battle trail was officially done for the day, this fact could be proven by the tired appearance of all students present in the room. Everyone had bags under their eyes except Bakugo who was still furious about losing to Deku. All Might stood in front of the group of students getting ready to give a speech.
" Well done! I say, that today was an excellent day of training! " All Might exclaimed, his face beaming with a smile. The student wearily nodded along as he continued his speech. "If you didn't come out on top in this trial, don't be disheartened. Life is full of victories and defeats. So, don't let a single loss crush your confidence."
The students audibly hummed in agreement with All Might's words. Just as they were about to disperse, All Might suddenly gave a thumbs-up and announced, "You're all free to go! Have a safe rest of the day." A collective sigh of relief escaped the students as they made their way toward the exit, including Ricolo, who wore a bored expression. He stood by, watching his peers trickle out of the building one by one until he was unexpectedly his name was called.
"Hey, Ricolo, we need to talk!" Deku's voice rang out, catching Ricolo off guard. It was the first time Deku had raised his voice while addressing Ricolo. Ricolo met Deku's gaze, but this time, Deku didn't avert his eyes to the ground. Instead, he locked eyes with Ricolo as he spoke.
"I get that you wanted to repay me for designing your suit. But if I knew you were going to let me win, I wouldn't have bothered. Never hand me a victory like that again. I'd rather lose than win unfairly. I don't deserve it," Deku expressed firmly, his eyes fixed on Ricolo.
Ricolo stared back at Deku before he began to chuckle, leaving Deku puzzled. Wiping tears from his eyes, Ricolo spoke through his laughter, clutching his stomach. "You're quite a funny guy, you know? But I don't totally grasp your ideology. Who cares how you win, as long as you win in the end, right? But I want to ask you a question, is your name Deku or Midoriya? "
"It's Midoriya, but feel free to call me, Deku. " Responded Deku walking alongside Ricolo...
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
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